Portrait of Rembrandt
- Catalog
- WD-D13
- Artist
- Willem Drost
- Year
- c. 1655-56
- Medium
- Pen and brown ink
- Dimensions
- Unknown
- Location
- Present location unknown
Description
A portrait drawing of Rembrandt van Rijn by his pupil Willem Drost. The drawing depicts the master in middle age and is one of the few known portraits of Rembrandt executed by a member of his own workshop.
Analysis
Listed by PubHist as a fully attributed Drost drawing (c. 1655-56), this portrait is significant as a rare depiction of Rembrandt from within his immediate circle. The attribution appears in Sumowski's catalog of Rembrandt school drawings. Its current location is unknown, and further research is needed to identify the institution or collection that holds it.
Historical Context
The First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654) raged during this period, with naval battles at Portland, the Gabbard, and Scheveningen where Admiral Maarten Tromp was killed. The Delft Thunderclap of 1654 devastated the city and killed Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt’s most gifted former pupil. Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated and converted to Catholicism in Rome. Blaise Pascal experienced his conversion to Jansenism. Drost worked independently in Amsterdam, competing in a vibrant art market while Rembrandt began his descent into bankruptcy.